Combined water heater and storage tank



Nov. 26, 1957 D. L. CAMERON 2,814,278

COMBINED WATER HEATER AND STQRAGE TANK Filed. June 2, 1953 IN VENTOR. DON/7L0 L. Cfi/VERO/V 7 H 77' ORA/E Y United States Patent g I 2,814,278 COMBINED WATER HEATER AND STORAGE TANK Donald L. Cameron, Rochester, N. Y.

Application June 2, 1953, Serial No. 359,001

4 Claims. (Cl. 122-17) This invention relates to a hot water or like heater and storage tank.

The invention has for one of its purposes, the provision of a heater which promptly delivers hot water or the like, to the top of a storage tank, thereby enabling a relatively small unit of reduced cost to provide hot water service usually achieved by larger conventional units.

Another purpose of this invention is the provision of a sediment trap in a combined heater and storage tank which trap includes a perforated diaphragm or septum with upstanding nipples, dividing the storage tank into two compartments.

A further purpose of the invention is the production of a combined heater and storage tank wherein the incoming cool water is introduced into the tank below its diaphragm thereby minimizing stirring or disturbance of the heated water above the diaphragm during draw-oil of the heated water.

The various features and advantages of the invention will appear from the detailed description and claims when taken withthe drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the water heater of this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough.

The heater of the present invention comprises an annular upright tank T with a central vertical flue F and a communicating heating chamber H located beneath the flue. The tank which is preferably cylindrical in shape comprises a sheet metal side wall 5, and an inner concentric sheet metal shell 6 defining the internal flue F. The top of the tank is closed by an annular sheet metal plate 7 having its edges joined to the shell 6 and to the upper edge of the side wall 5, as by welding, to seal the upper part of the tank. The plate 7 has sealed in a perforation therein, the upper end of a cold water inlet pipe 9 projecting into the lower part of the tank and connectible through a coupling 10, to a source of water to be heated. The plate 7 also has sealed in a second perforation therein, a coupling 11 through which the heated water can be discharged from the tank. The lower end portion 12 of the inner shell 6 is flared downward and outward with the lower edge of the shell sealed as by welding to the side wall 5. The flared portion 12 of the inner shell, thus, closes the bottom of the annular tank and serves as a heating or boiler surface for the water in the tank. The bottom surface of the tank, and the side extension 13 of the wall define a combustion or heating chamber H accessible through door D and generally conical at the top thereof Where it opens into the flue F. This chamber has mounted therein a heating unit which is shown as a gas burner 14 with a well-known heat control unit U therefor, governed by a conventional thermostat, although an electrical, oil or other heating unit will serve equally well. The temperature responsive element 15 of the thermostat projects into the lower part of the tank through the side wall 5 in sealed relation with this wall.

In order to promote rapid convection of the heated water from the surface 12 to the top of the tank, there is provided an annular petticoat pipe 17 within the tank and surrounding in spaced relation, the inner shell 6 defining the fine t" as well as surrounding a portion of the heating surface 12. The lower edge 19 of petticoat pipe is sealed as by welding or brazing to the surface 12 or to the lower part of shell 5. From this seal the flared portion 20 of the petticoat pipe 17 converges from the surface 12 to merge with the straight portion of the pipe proper which terminates a short distance from the top of the tank. It will be noted that spacing between the surface 12 and the surface of the flared portion 20 of the petticoat pipe at region 21, defining a boiler B, is greater than the spacing between the parallel portions of shell 6 and the petticoat pipe proper. The region 21 is so located that the heat from the burner is concentrated on the boiler B. In this manner the heated and expanded water rises rapidly through the passage P to the top of the pipe 17 from which it disperses at the top portion of the tank thereby promoting rapid circulation of the heated water. It should be pointed out that the rising stream of hot water in the passage P acts as a partial insulation between the cooler water in the tank proper and the internal flue, thereby tending to eliminate condensation on the walls of the flue.

Cold water supplied by the cold water pipe 9 into the lower portion of the tank, circulates into the boiler B. This cold water flows into the boiler through openings in the portion 20, the openings being surrounded by upstanding nipples 23 attached as by welding to the portion 20. These nipples tend to prevent sediment in the water from entering the boiler. The combined area of these openings is equal to or slightly greater than the area of the outgoing hot water pipe or the area of the incoming cold water pipe. As a further deterrent to the accumulation of sediment in the boiler B, there is provided a perforated disc or diaphragm 24 extending transversely of the tank at a point above the lower end of the cold water pipe 9. This disc which is preferably of the approximate diameter of the side wall 5, is attached as by welding or brazing to the petticoat 17. The margins ofthe disc may be upturned and the several necessary perforations therein are encircled by upstanding nipples 25. Thus the disc catches, at a location remote from the boiler, sediment in the water which would otherwise reach the boiler and thereby reduce the efliciency thereof as well as clog the various passages. This disc also serves to prevent too rapid mixing of the incoming coldwater with the previously heated water in the upper part of the tank.

The lowest point in the tank is provided with clean out plugs 26 in the side wall 5 whereby the tank can be emptied and flushed out to remove all accumulated sediment or sludge therein.

The upper portion of the main tank may be provided with a hot water pipe 27 leading to an auxiliary hot water storage tank 28 While a cold water return pipe 29 leads from the storage tank to the lower part of the main tank. The pipes 27 and 29 may have shut off hand valves 30 and 31 therein so that the auxiliary tank can be used or not as desired. It will be understood that the use of the auxiliary storage tank is optional.

While the present invention has been described as a device for the heating and storage of water, the invention is not limited to such usage.

What I claim is:

1. A device for heating and storing water comprising a vertical, annular storage tank having a cylindrical outside wall, and an inner shell disposed concentrically within said wall, said inner shell having a vertical portion extending axially through said tank and constituting a flue, and said inner shell having its lower end flared outwardly and downwardly and then extending down wardlyandthen outwardly again and beingsealed at its outer extremity to said wall thereby defining a combustion chamber communicating with said flue, the downwardly andoutwardlyextendingportions of the-lower end of said shell defining withsaid-wall also 'asedment trap,-a' petticoat *pipe within said tank-and-having a-vertically disposed portion surrounding 'the'vertical portion"of'-said shell for the major portion-of theheight'of'the'said'vertical'portion of saidshelly'said petticoat pipehavingits lowerend flared downwardly and outwardly more steeply than *thelower end of 'saidshell, said lowerend of said petticoat pipe being joined "at'its" outer extremity to'said shell in sealedrelationthereto;the vertically disposed portions of saidshell and said petticoat'pipe defining Ibfitweenthem a'relatively narrowpassagefor upward flow of heated water, said petticoat pipe being open at its upper end to discharge the heated Water into the surrounding portion ofs'aid tank, the lower ends of said shell and said'petticoat pipedefining between them a boiler space having varying depth and having its greatest depth in the regionadjac'ent said passage, amheaterdisposed beneath the flared portion of said shell to apply heat at said region, a perforated septum extending transversely of said tank between said petticoat'pipe and said outside shell, said septum being in the form of an annular plate disposed between the flared portionof said petticoat pipe and the upper end of said petticoat pipe and being joined in sealed relation to said petticoat pipe but being spaced around its periphery from said'wall, a supply pipe extending downwardly through said septum into the space between said septum and the lower end of said petticoat pipe, means for conducting water to be heated from the last-named space into said boiler space, and a'discharge pipe-.inlthe upper portion of said tank for discharging heated 'water from said tank having an inlet opening above said septum.

2. A, device for heating and storing water comprising a vertical annular storage tank having-a cylindrical outside wall,-and an inner shell disposed concentrically within said wall, said inner shell having a vertical portion extending axially through said tank and constituting a flue, and said inner shell having its lower end flared outwardly and downwardly and sealed at its outer extremity to said wall thereby defining a combustion chamber communicating with said flue, a petticoat pipe within said tank and having a vertically disposed portion surrounding the vertical porton of said shell for the major portion of the height of the said vertical portion of said shell, saidpetticoat pipe having its lower end flared downwardly and outwardly more steeply than the lowerend of said shell, said lower end of said petticoat pipe being joined and sealed at its outer extremity to the flared end of said shell and spaced inwardly from the inside wall of said tank, the vertically disposed portions of said shell and said petticoat pipe defining between them a vertically narrowpassage for upward flow of heated water, said petticoat pipe being'open at its upper end to discharge the heated water into the surrounding portion of'said tank, the lower ends of said shell and said petticoat pipe defining between them a boiler space having varying depth and having its greatest depth in the region adjacent said passage, a heater disposed beneath the flared portion of said shell to apply heat at said region, means including perforations in said flared portion of said petticoat pipe for supplying water to be heated to said boiler space, a nipple surrounding each perforation and mounted in said flared portion of said petticoat pipe to extend upwardly above said flared portion of said pipe whereby sediment is trapped on said flared portion of said pipe and does not enter said boiler space, a removable clean-out plug mounted in said tank belowsaid nipples for permitting emptying and flushing of said tank, and a discharge pipe in the upper portion of said tank for discharging heated water from said tank, said discharge pipehaving' aninletopening'in said tank between saidpetticoat and said -outside-wall,- th -total area of said perforations in the flared portion of said petticoat being at least equal to the area of the inlet opening in said discharge pipe.

3. A device for heating and storing water comprising a vertical annular storage tankhaving a cylindrical outside wall, and an inner shell'fli'sposed concentrically within said wallysaid inner: shiell'having avertical portion extending axially through sai'ditan'k and constituting a flue, and said inner shell having its lower end flared outwardly and downwardly and sealed atitsouer extremity to said wall thereby defining a combustion chamber communicating with said flue, a petticoat pipe within said tank and having a vertically disposed-portionsurrounding the vertical portion of said shell for the major portion of the height of the said vertical portion of said shell, said petticoat pipe having its lower end flared downwardly and. outwardly more" steeply" "than the *"lowerend" of said "shell, said lower end of said petticoat pipe being joinedafits outer extremity to' said shell in sealed reiation thereto, the verticallydisposed por'tions of-"saidsh'ell and said petticoat pipedefining'b'etween them a-relatively narrow' passage' for-iupward' flow 'of' hea-tedwater, said' petticoat pipe' being open-at itszupper end "to discharge the'heated water into the surrounding portion of said tank, the lower ends of" said shell and *saidpetticoat pipe de'fining between them a boiler space-havingvarying'depth and havingits greatest depth in'the region adjacent'said-passage,' a heater 3 disposed-beneath*the flared'portion of said shell 'to apply heat at said region, a perforated septum extending horizon-' tally between said petticoatpipeand said -outside wall and disposed medially of-the tank-between the fiared portion of said petticoatpipe and the upper end 'of said; petticoat pipe; said septum being providedwith upstanding nipples enclosing the perforationswherein"to trapsediment onthe upper surface of said septum, meansforvsupplying waterto be' heated intosaid tank below said sept m, means-fori'ntroducing the supplied'waterinto said boiler space, and means in the upper portion of said :tankfor discharging heated water *from'said tank;

4. A device for heating and storing water'comprising a vertical annular storage tankhaving a cylindrical outside wall, an-inner shell disposed concentrically within said wall, said 'innershellhaving a vertical portion extending axially through said tank'and out the upper end of said tank and constituting a flue, and said inner shell having its lower end flared outwardly and downwardly and sealed at its outer extremity to said wall thereby defining a combustion chamber communicating with said flue, a petticoat pipe within said tank and having a vertically disposed portion vsurrounding the vertical portion of said shell for :themajor portionof the height of said vertical portion'of said shell, said lower portion of said petticoat pipe being joined at its outer. extremity to the flared lower end-of said shelliin .sealed relation thereto and in spaced relation to said wall and defining with the flared lower end of said shell a .boiler space, the vertically disposed portions of said shell andsaid petticoat pipe defining between.them-a relatively narrow passage forupward flow of heated Water, said petticoat pipe being open at its upper end to discharge the heated water into the. surrounding portion of said tank, a .heater disposed beneath the.flared portion of said shell, a perforated septum extending transversely of said tank between said petticoat, pipe and said outer .wall said septum being disposed between the flared portion of said petticoat pipe and the upper end of-saidpetticoat pipe, said septum being an annular plate and being'joinedaround its radially inner extremity to-said petticoat pipe inv sealed relation thereto: but being spaced around its radially outerextremity slight-.-

ly from said wall, vmeans for supplyingwater to be heated into said tank below said septum means for introducing the supplied water=into the boiler space,- anda'discharge pipe having an opening in said tank above said septum for discharging heated water from said tank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Zier July 6, 1897 Edgerton Apr. 16, 1901 Fuller Sept. 1, 1925 Ot1s May 3, 1927 10 6 Stack Aug. 21, 1928 Harding Apr. 8, 1930 Arnold Oct. 25, 1932 Hendrix Apr. 13, 1937 Leo Dec. 29, 1942 Alexander July 16, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 7, 1912 

